NTSB: Uber’s AV in fatal crash ‘had software issues’

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that an Uber autonomous vehicle which killed Elaine Herzberg last year had software flaws. NTSB released a report which says the Volvo XC60’s autonomous system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object and determined that an emergency braking manoeuvre was needed to mitigate the collision. Uber confirmed that emergency braking manoeuvres must be carried out manually and the system is not designed to alert the driver. Data
November 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

The US 5628 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that an 8336 Uber autonomous vehicle which %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external killed false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/uber-ends-self-driving-programme-in-arizona/ false false%> Elaine Herzberg last year had software flaws.

NTSB released a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external report false https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=62978&amp;CurrentPage=2&amp;EndRow=30&amp;StartRow=16&amp;order=1&amp;sort=0&amp;TXTSEARCHT= false false%> which says the 609 Volvo XC60’s autonomous system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object and determined that an emergency braking manoeuvre was needed to mitigate the collision.

Uber confirmed that emergency braking manoeuvres must be carried out manually and the system is not designed to alert the driver.

Data retrieved from the autonomous system revealed that the vehicle operator engaged the steering wheel less than a second before impact while the vehicle was travelling at 39mph.

The NTSB reviewed Uber’s autonomous system cameras which revealed that Herzberg did not look in the direction of the vehicle just before impact.

An inward-facing video showed the vehicle operator glancing down toward the centre of the vehicle several times before the crash. A post-crash interview with NTSB investigators revealed that she was monitoring the autonomous system’s interface.

The NTSB is working with Uber, Volvo Cars and the 6576 Arizona Department of Transportation to compile a complete account of the crash.

Uber is not the only company whose AV trials have led to a fatality. Last year, a Tesla vehicle operating in %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external autopilot false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/tesla-car-crash-in-california-kills-driver-while-running-on-autopilot/ false false%> in California caught fire after crashing into a roadside barrier that killed the driver. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK well positioned to benefit from autonomous lorries, says Inrix
    September 24, 2018
    Driver shortage, commercially-viable roads and Brexit uncertainty position the UK to develop and benefit from autonomous freighting, says Inrix. The analytics company's latest report has identified the A1 from Sheffield to Edinburgh as the most suitable corridor for testing highly automated vehicles (HAV). The Inrix Automated Freight Corridor Assessment reveals the next best-suited corridor is the M5/A38 from Plymouth to Birmingham, followed by the M4 from Swindon to Swansea.
    Read More
  • Delhi uses waste-to-energy to power metro line
    June 13, 2019
    Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has announced it is receiving power generated from a waste-to-energy plant to operate the Pink Line metro service in the Indian capital. DMRC says it is currently receiving 2 megawatts (MW) of power from East Delhi Waste Processing Company’s (EDWPCL) 12 MW capacity plant located in the town of Ghazipur. EDWPCL’s waste-to-energy plant was realised from an agreement with the government of Delhi and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. The facility is expected to pro
    Read More
  • McCain to use ATC cabinets to improve traffic signal infrastructure in San Francisco
    December 13, 2018
    McCain is to upgrade San Francisco’s traffic signal infrastructure through the introduction of 400 M advanced transportation controller (ATC) cabinets over the next three years. Reza Roozitalab, McCain’s vice president of hardware engineering, says: “Our M ATC cabinet features two front side-by-side doors, ideal for areas with narrow sidewalks so maintenance teams can work inside without completely blocking the walkway.” Also, the M ATC cabinets feature a ‘lamp out monitoring algorithm’ which identifies
    Read More
  • Limited places remaining for FIRM15 infrastructure meeting
    March 31, 2015
    The FEHRL Infrastructure Research Meeting 2015 (FIRM15) will be held on 22 and 23 April 2015 at the Diamant Centre in Brussels, Belgium. Held every two years, for the first time FIRM15 is opening up to all transport modes with speakers and participants from the rail sector. With the theme of ‘Innovative maintenance of Transport Infrastructure: Faster, cheaper, more reliable, safer and greener’, FIRM15 aims at mapping the problems and challenges of innovative maintenance of transport infrastructure;
    Read More

Highlighted Content